They were shown around the site by the Leader of the Friends, John Roper, and admired the excavations carried out in the past two years, and learned about the history of the site construction in 1860, and the Pulhamite rock work.

They watched the volunteers working to trace the missing section of the Top Path, digging out stubborn dead tree stumps with a mattock, strimming back nettles and other invasive plants, weeding the Victorian planting beds, and planting more ferns that had quite recently been donated by a benefactor – not to forget time spent chatting to one of our volunteers (past-Mayor Les Page) who was disguised as a leaf blowing operative.

At the elevenses break time, which was timed to match the conclusion of their visit, Cllr Bromley spoke to the volunteers and congratulated them all for the outstanding contribution they are making to restore the Danesbury Fernery, which she described as an important and long lost piece of Welwyn’s heritage.

All the visitors were amazed at the scale and scope of the project that the volunteers have taken on with the help of the Borough Council. They found the project stimulating and exciting and they gave the volunteers an assurance that the Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve will continue to have the full support of the Borough Council.

CEO Rob Bridge added his congratulations and promptly posted an entry on our Twitter site and I strongly recommend that that you have a look at @danesburyferns.

Future Meeting Dates

You are reminded that it was agreed at the September meeting that in future we will meet twice a month, on the third Thursday for the work parties, as now, plus a meeting of the ‘Friends of the Fernery Garden‘ on the 1st Saturday each month, starting Saturday 4th November. All meetings will start in the Fernery at 10 a.m. and we will be seeking volunteer leaders to help us get the Saturday meetings off to a successful start. Please set the dates in your diary.

The November 2017 edition of the Welwyn Magazine will carry a Report from the Friends of Danesbury LNR which introduces the new Saturday Gardening meetings. The Magazine will also carry the dates of all future Thursday and Saturday meetings from now onwards, conveniently on the back-page ‘ Dates for Your Diary’.

Social Media – progress

As mentioned last month, please develop the habit of having a look at our website www.danesburyfernery.org.uk, our FaceBook Page @danesbury fernery and our Twitter page @danesburyferns from time to time.

We are beginning to pick up useful contacts on the Twitter page and as individuals you can follow selected fern specialists who are making contact with us, and build up your knowledge. The Facebook Page @danesbury fernery which Lucy is running for us, is looking very good and attracting interest

This website is still awaiting some further polishing, but it takes time..

British Pteridological Society

Andrew is about to submit our Group Registration. If you want to be included in the group membership, and have not already done so, please let him know as soon as you can.

Alan Bishop & Associates – Pulhamite restoration experts.

Alan Bishop has long been interested in our progress and has been trying to make a date to visit us for several months. At long last, he managed to call in to see us towards the close of our meeting, and spent about one hour being shown around the Danesbury Fernery, by John and Sue.

It would be a safe summary to say that in terms of the setting of the rock work in the slope of the dell, the condition of the rockwork itself, and particularly the ‘virtually’ new condition of the rock work that has been buried under spoil for years, he was amazed and delighted with what he saw. Mindful of its early stage of excavation, he described the condition of the Danesbury Fernery as among the best that he has visited, and he hopes to pop in from time to time to see how we are progressing.

In his short visit, Alan gave some useful tips to Harry and (new boy) David, to help them trace the line of the Top Path by following the foundations, and in response to questions based on his wide experience of Pulham site restoration, he freely gave his views on the direction we might take in regard to development of the overall site and the garden as we move forward.

Conclusion

This was another very successful Working Party, and the Committee thanks all the volunteers who turned out, for their enthusiasm and support. There is no doubting that this was an important and extremely successful presentation and everybody played their part.

At a special meeting held at County Hall Hertford on Tuesday evening the 17th October, the Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve, represented by John Roper and Andrew Beattie, were awarded a Commendation in the Community category of the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) Rural Living Awards. The Award was presented on behalf of the CPRE by the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Cllr. Lynne Sparks.

Photo by CPRE with permission

This was a tough section with 9 nominations overall. The Friends had originally been nominated by two separate people/bodies for both the Environment and the Community categories. Happily the judges had decided that the better nomination should be for the Community category, which resulted in an excellent Commendation.

The judges commented particularly on the abandonment of the management of the Danesbury Fernery over the past 100 years or so, from a point when W Robinson in ‘The English Flower Garden‘ published in 1883 wrote ‘in the home counties there is probably not a better Fernery than at Danesbury’, to the point where in September 2015 the volunteers Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve faced a veritable jungle.

The judges were impressedby the massive clearance programme conducted since then, highlighting the hugely successful June 2017 Welwyn Festival, when the Fernery was ‘Opened’ as part of the Festival’s Annual Open Gardens programme, attracting hundreds of visitors.

Go to the CPRE Awards site to find the Judges Danesbury Report on page 4.

The meeting on 19th October is special because Ann Macdonald is introducing us all to the new CEO of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Rob Bridge, and the Director of Landscaping Nick Long.

Purpose:

a) they want to see what we have been up to in the Fernery, and

b) we want to show them!

I expect that Ann and I will show our visitors around the site, but hopefully they will be able to join us at elevenses and have the opportunity to chat with us all.

It is for all of us to encourage our visitors to continue to support the successful Partnership between the Borough Council and the Friends, so that we might set realistic targets and eventually reach mutually agreed goals.

Weather permitting, I will erect the gazebo with our table-top display so that our visitors can see where we have come from in such a short space of time.

It is of course a fact that we are at the time of year when the Fernery cannot be looking at its best: we are constantly battling with nettles which hold us back from making progress on further excavation work. Although we continue our strimming regime, we hope to persuade the Borough to help by applying a systemic nettles killer.

We meet at the Fernery at the top end of North Ride, Welwyn, AL6 9RD starting at 10 a.m. Please note that team leaders and tools will be on site from 9 a.m for those who prefer to start earlier. Work continues until lunchtime and volunteers should wear strong boots, gardening gloves and bring a hot drink for refreshment. Tools will be provided.

Tasks for Thursday 19th October 2017

Maintenance

Strimming and leaf blowing: since the last meeting on 21st September 2017, small ad hoc groups of volunteers have been strimming to clear the site of nettles. At present this seems like a losing battle, but the purpose is to keep the site in a tidy state to make it more presentable to visitors and to make it safer for work parties to carry out excavation tasks.

Depending on the progress thus made, we might have more strimming to undertake and some leaf blowing to complete before some of the tasks below can safely commence.

We will adhere to the decision to maintain the North East part of the site undisturbed for wildlife.

Excavation – depending on resources available

Continue exploring the direction of the top steps started in August.

Continue excavating the decorated pebble wall and seek to find its direction.

Continue excavation of the rock work in the gorge to seek the direction of the top path.

Continue weeding the bedding areas.

Dig out dead tree stumps – we will have a mattock available in the shed if we have a willing volunteer.

Fencing

Stephen is expected to be missing this Thursday so we are suspending further work until he is once again available.

Water mains standpipe cabinet

Our cabinet was installed at our September (see the photographs) and Andrew has been working very hard since to make it more secure. We have had keys cut to hand out to all your Committee members/leaders, as well as for appropriate Borough Council representatives.

Andrew will be on hand to show you how we have already managed to store many hand tools in the shed to avoid the need for them to be stored in private garages, and to make them readily available on site for work party leaders. (Although the standpipe is secured, the hose reel has not yet been supplied and installed).

You are reminded that the Friends have financed the cost of the purchase and installation of the shed.

Entrance Poles

You all witnessed the re-installation of the straightened entrance poles at the September meeting (see the photos). You will be pleased to know that they are still standing!

Once again you are reminded that the costs of restoring the ironwork at the entrance is being funded by the Friends, from a generous (ring-fenced) private donation. But it has not yet been agreed with the Borough Council what the next stage of ironwork restoration should be.

Future Meeting Dates

You are reminded that it was agreed at the September meeting that in future we will meet twice a month, on the third Thursday for the work parties, as now, plus a meeting of the ‘Friends of the Fernery Garden‘ on the 1st Saturday each month, starting Saturday 4th November. All meetings will start in the Fernery at 10 a.m. and we will be seeking volunteers to stand by to help us get the Saturday meetings off to a successful start.

The November 2017 edition of the Welwyn Magazine will carry a Report from the Friends of Danesbury LNR which introduces the new Saturday Gardening meetings. The Magazine will also carry the dates of all future Thursday and Saturday meetings from now onwards, conveniently on the back-page ‘ Dates for Your Diary’.

Social Media – progress

Please develop the habit of having a look at our website, and FaceBook and Twitter pages from time to time. We are beginning to pick up useful contacts on the Twitter page and you too can follow selected fern specialists who are making contact with us, and help us build up our knowledge.

British Pteridological Society

Andrew still wants to hear from those of you who would like to join this Society and benefit from a joint membership under the Friends of Danesbury LNR banner. He will talk more about this with you this Thursday. There are useful BPS awards schemes running, but most seem to demand that bids are placed each year by the 1st November. So – if it is felt that we should be applying straight away, then we do need to get our skates on.

Conclusion

We look forward to a good turn-out on a calm and warm Thursday 19th October.

Please all wear your FOD (or other Friends Group’s) tabard, and carry your hard hats. We have spares available for those without – so no excuses!